Laurie Jury (NZL) will face Mads Ebler (DEN) in the open division and Claire Leroy (FRA) will face Rita Goncalves (POR) in the women's division in the Finals of the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final.

The four finalists emerged after a nearly perfect day of sailing in beautiful conditions on Lake Michigan, with 15-knot southeast breezes and surfable waves just off the coast of Sheboygan.

Fantastic competition marked each of the four Semi Final pairings with incredibly close racing putting a premium on tactics and penalties in most matches.

Olivia Price (AUS) was seeded first after the Round Robin and chose to sail against Goncalves in the women's division, sailed in Elliott 6m's. Price knocked off two wins in the best-of-five series, but Goncalves, in a do-or-die situation, won the next three races to qualify for the finals.

"Yesterday was a very good day for us and we wanted that to continue today," Goncalves said. "We were more focused and we've been working hard on our teamwork and communication on the boat and I think that made the difference. The waves were huge and the wind was quite strong so at times it was difficult conditions."

In the second women's Semi Final, two-time Nations Cup winner Claire Leroy (FRA) won the first two races against Mandy Mulder (NED) before Mulder came back in the third race to stay alive. Leroy won the next race, qualifying for the finals and giving her the chance to become a three-time Nations Cup winner.

In the open division, sailed in Sonars, top-seeded Ebler, who went undefeated in the Round Robin chose to sail against Henrique Haddad (BRA) in the Semi Final. Ebler suffered his first defeat of the regatta in the second race match but quickly came back to win the next two matches.

In the second open Semi Final, Lucy Macgregor (GBR) had a challenging day in the strong winds and high seas against the heavier team led by Jury, with Jury's team going 3-0.

"We were heavier and that made us a little faster upwind and we were able to get off the starting line a little faster," Jury said of today's racing.

The skipper said he is looking forward to facing Ebler tomorrow. "We lost to him in the round robin but we feel we made a few mistakes in that race so we're looking forward to having another crack at it tomorrow."

With a crowd of spectators both on the water and on shore, Saturday's racing was both the most exciting and most watched of the regatta.

"Today was a fantastic day on the water," said Antonio Gonzalez de la Madrid, the International Sailing Federation technical representative in Sheboygan for the event. "The racing was very exciting and very close. What more could we ask for? This is what ISAF is looking for in a Nations Cup venue, it's a beautiful place hosting just a great event."

Racing at Sail Sheboygan's Lake Michigan facility concludes today with the finals in each division. Similar conditions are forecast for tomorrow. A closing ceremony awarding the Nations Cup trophies will be held at Blue Harbor Resort in the afternoon.

Following on from earlier editions in 1991, 1993 and 1995, the ISAF Nations Cup was successfully re-launched in 2006. The latst edition took place in 2009 with the Grand Final hosted by Porto Alegre in Brazil. In total 60 teams representing 39 MNAs participated in the 2009 ISAF Nations Cup. Eight Regional Finals decided the line up for the Grand Final at the Veleiros do Sul sailing club in Porto Alegre where France repeated their double victory from 2007 to retain the open title skippered by Damien Iehl and the women's title skippered again by Claire Leroy.

The 2011 ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final takes place from 13-18 September and will be hosted by Sheboygan, USA. Sheboygan, situated on the western shoreline of Lake Michigan, 150 mile north of Chicago, is the second US venue to host the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final, following on from San Francisco in 1995.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

There was no stopping current, and five-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar today at the Energa Sopot Match Race as he swiftly dispatched his Quarter Final opponent Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) in three straight wins.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Veteran Polish match racer and America's Cup helmsman Karol Jablonski skilfully played the gusty conditions today to lead the twelve strong field of teams at the end of Day 2 of Qualifying at the 2015 Energa Sopot Match Race.